Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-07
x IN 6
Solomon S Mines,

out waiting for an answer went on:
''N0ne know what happened; but it came
about that the white man was frightened
for he flung down the goat skin, with the
stones, and fled out with only the one stone
in his hand, and that the king took, and ii is
the stone that thou, NJ" cunazahn, didSt take
from Twala'S brow"
Have none entered here sinceT' / asked,
peering again down the dark passage
None, my lords. Oaly the secret of the
door hath been kept, and every king hath
opened It, thought he hath not entered.
There is saying that those who enter
there will die. within a moon, even as the
white man died in the cave upon the noun
tain, where We found him, Macumaz lhn
Ha! ha mine are true wOrds!'
Our eyes met as she said it, and | turned
sick and cold. How did the old bag know
all these things?
ENTER, my lords. If l speak truth, the
g0at-skin with the stones will lie upon the
floor; and if there is truth as t. whether it is
death to enter here, that will We learn after
ward Ia! hal hap And she hobbled
through the doorway, bearing the light with
her; but confess that once more | hesitat-
ed about following.
ooh confound it all! said Good 'here
goes | am not going to be frightened by
that old devil" and followed by Foulata,
who however, evidently did not at all like
the job. for she was shivering with fear,
he plunged into the passage after GagOOl-
an example which we quickly followed.
A few yards down the passage, in the mar
row way hewn ont of the living rock Gag0ol
had paused, and was waiting for us.
"See my lords" she said, holding the
light before her, 'those who stored the
HaH Ir1h nd q
them to guard against any one who should
find the secret of the door, but had not the
time," and she pointed to large square
blocks Of stone, which had, to the height of
two courses 1.-TWO feet three, been placed
across the passage with view to Walling il
up. Along the side of the passage were
similar blocks ready for use, an most curl
Gus OF all, heap of mortar amt couple OF
trOwels, which, 50 far as we had time tc
examine them, appeared to be Of similar
shape and make to those used by workmen
to this day.
Here Foulata, who had throughout been
in u state of great fear and agitation. said
that she felt faint and could go no further
but would wait there. Accordingly we sci
her down on the unfinished wall, placing the
basket Of provisions by her side, and left her
to recover.
Following the passage for about fifteen
PAGES further, we suddenly came to an Ella
borately-painted wooden door. 1t was
standing wide open. Whoever was last
there had either had not the time or had for
gotten to shut it.
Across the threshold lay Il skin bag
formed of 4 gOat-Skin. that appeared to be-
full of pebbles.
"Hee! hee! white men," staggered Ga
cool, as the light from the lamp fell upon it
what did l tell We, that the white man whe
came here fled in haste, and dropped the
woman's bag-behold itP'
Good stopped down and lifted it 1t was
heavy, and jingled.
by JOye! believe its full Of diamonds "
he said, in an awed whisper; and, indeed,
the idea of small goat-skin full of dis~
monds is enough to awe anybody.
go on" said Sir Henry, impatiently.
Here, old lady, give me the lamp" and
taking it from GagooPs hand, he stepped
through the doorway and held il high above
his head.
We pressed in after him, forgetful for the
moment, of the bag of diamonds, and found
ourselves in Solomon's treaSure-chamber
At first all that the somewhat faint light
given by the lamp revealed was a room
hewn out of the living rock, and apparently
not more than ten feet squaIT. Next there
came into sight, stored one on the other as
high as the roof a splendid collection OF
elephant tuskS How many OF them there
were we did not know, for OF course we
could not see how far they went back, but
there could not have been less than the ends
OF four or five hundred tuSkS OF the first
quality visible TO our eyes. There, alone,
was enough livery before us to make man
wealthy for lie. Perhaps / thought, it was
from this very store that Solomon drew his
material for his great throne of ivory" of
which there was not the like made in any
kingdom
On the opposite side of the chamber were
about a score of wooden boxes something
like MartniHenry ammunition boxes, only
Gather larger and painted red.
There are the diamonds" cried /:
bring the light"
Sir Henry did so, holding it close to the
top box, of which the lid, rendered rotten by
time, even III that dry place, appeared to
have been smashed in, probably by Da Sill
veStra himself. Pushing my hand through
the hole in the lid | drew it out full, not OF
diamonds but of gold pieces, OF q shape that
none of us had seen before and with what
looked like Hebrew characters stamped up
on them.
Abr L said, replacing the coin, 1--WE
shant go back empty-handed, anyhow.
There must be a couple of thousand pieces
IN each box, and there are eighteen boxes
| suppose it was the money to pay the work
men and merchants
'Nell," put in Good, 81 think that is the
lot; | don't see any diamonds, unless the
old Portuguese put them all into this bag"
Let my lords look yonder, where it is
the darkest, if they would find the Stones"
said Gagool, Interpreting our looks. There
my lords will find a nook, and three stone
chests in the nook, two sealed and one
open."
Before interpreting this to Sir Henry,
who had the light, could not resist asking
how she knew these things, if no one had
entered the place since the white man, gen.
erations ago.
'Ah, NIacumazahn, who watched by
night" was the hooking answer, rye who
live in the stars, do We not know that some
have eyes that can see through rock?''
Look III that corner, Curtis" said, indi-